Paperboard serving tray



-June 15, 1965 H. F. WISCHUSEN 3,189,247

` PAPERBOARD SERVING TRAY Filed March 17, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 15,1965 H. F. wlscHusEN 3,189,247

PAPERBOARD SERVING TRAY 2 sham-sheet 2 Filed March 17, 1964 Invenba.-Hezzvy Fftozzweraf, l d@ United States Patent O 3,189,247 PAPERBQARDSERVING TRAY Henry F. Wischnsen, Manchester, Mass., assigner toWinchester Carton Corporation, Winchester, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Filed Mar. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 352,556 3 Claims.` (Cl.229-28) This invention relates to serving trays made of cardboard orpaperboard, and pertains more particularly to set up, carry-out trayscustomarilyused at drive-in theatres and roadside stands for carryingfoods and beverages from a service counter to an automobile where thefood and beverage is` consumed by an occupant.

Serving trays of this type customarily comprise a set up, box-like bodyhaving an open area for holding sandwiches or other food-s and anapertured panel area in which beverage cups are supported in the cupholes of the elevated panel, as shown, for example, in Patents No.2,512,963 and Re. 24,233.

The principal purpose of the present invention is to provide apaperboard serving tray in which the panel portion is so constructedthat the cup holes are automatically opened when the tray is set up, sothat cups can be inserted without breaking down divided tabs or flapswhich normally close the holes or apertures of the panel, and so thatthe automatically deflected tabs provide supporting struts for the innermargin of the panel.

As compared with trays of the character disclosed in Re. 24,233, theimproved carry-out tray requires less paperboard and is accordingly lessexpensive to manufacture and weighs less in shipment; the opened cupholes insure speedier ser-vice and greater convenience; and the absenceof a continuous wall along the inner edge of the elevated panel rendersthe tray substantially pilfer proof -by preventing a food product frombeing hidden under the panel.

Other advantages of the improved tray will become apparent from thefollowing description of the recorrmended embodiment of the inventionillustrated on the accompanying drawings, in which:

FiG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved serving tray;

FIG. 2 is a plan View of a paperboard blank from which the tray isformed;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the formed, but ilattened tray, before it isset up in the position of FIG. l;

IFIG. 4 is a transverse section on line 4 4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section on line E-S of FIG. 1.

The one-piece blank from which the improved tray is formed comprises abottom portion 11, a front wall 12 having end tabs 13, a rear wall 14having end tabs 15, end walls 16 and 17 and a panel section 1?contiguous to the rear wall; the several parts being defined by scorelines, as shown in FIG. 2, on which the parts are foldable withrel-ation to adjacent parts or sections of the blank. The corners of theend walls `are also foldable on similar score lines, and are coated withadhesive as indicated at 19 and 2t), respectively. The tabs 13 of frontwall 12 are similarly scored diagonally, at 21 and 22, so that thecoated triangular areas of the adjacent ends of the end walls may becemented to the foldable triangular flaps of the tabs 13. The coatedtriangular areas of the opposite ends of the end walls are similarlycemented to the adjacent tabs 15 of the front wall 14.

The body of the box-like tray, when thus cemented, is of the well-knownBeers type or style, as shown, for example, in Patent No. 2,160,643, andprovides a tray body whose side and end Walls may be flattened down3,189,247 patentes .time is, 1965 upon the bottom portion 11, as in FIG.3, or erected upright from the bottom, as in FIG. l.

The panel section 13 is formed with a number of partially cut flaps, 23,24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 which are foldable on the broken hinge lines ofFIG. 2. Flaps'24, 25, 26 and 27 are also foldable upon themselves andprovide free end portions which are coated with adhesive, as indicatedat 24', 25', 2e and 27. When the tray is initially formed, the saidcoated end portions are cemented to the bottom 11, as indicated in FIG.l, after the panel section 1S has been infolded relative to rear wall 14and the aps have been folded downwardly from the panel, so that the maintlap portions 24, 25, 26 and 27 pro-vide supporting struts or braces forthe inner margin of the panel, with open spaces between the struts.

It will be appreciated that the cemented flap ends 24', 25', 26 and 27may extend rearwardly of the struts, as shown in FIG. 1, or forwardlythereof if desired, and that the external coniguration of the flaps 23,24, 25, 26, 27 and 2S, is subject to variation. When the tray is formedand in set up position (FIG. l) the endmost aps 23 and 2S of the panelare folded downwardly against the end walls 16 and 17, respectively, toengage the bottom 11, thereby providing additional braces for the panel,and also holding the tray in set up position. In that position, the endmargins 29 and 3i) of the panel section extend outwardly beyond the endwalls 16 and 17, respectively on which they rest, so that the end wallsalso support the panel.

The Beers style of the tray body and the hinged connections of the paneland its supporting flaps or struts permits the formed tray to becollapsed, with the side and end walls and the panel section infoldedonto the tray bottom, as shown in FIG. 3, where the panel flaps arerestored to their position within the cup holes formed by theirdisplacement. It will be understood that the improved trays are packedand shipped in such flattened condition, and may be quickly erected whenthey are to receive food or beverages, by lifting the free margins ofthe front wall 12 and panel 13, or by lifting the free, exposed marginsof the end walls 16 and 17.

The erection of the tray automatically opens the cup holes 31, 32, 33and 3d, as in FIG. l, so that paper cups, or other beverage receptaclesmay be quickly placed in the cup holes of the panel 18. However, theflaps 23 and 23 `of the endmost cup holes should be pressed downwardlyagainst the inner surfaces of the end walls 16 and 17 whereby said iiapsserve as a brace to support the end portions of the panel, and tend toprevent collapse of the end walls, as aforesaid. It will be noted thatthe fold or hinge lines of aps 24, 25, 25 and 27 are disposed in.alignment and in spaced parallel relation to the inner edge of thepanel 1S, thereby providing an overhanging marginal ledge 35.

A serving tray designed and constructed as herein illustrated anddescribed may be made of paperboard having its grain runninglongitudinally of the finished tray, thereby alfording greater carryingstrength. As previously mentioned, the improved tray requires lesspaperboard stock than prior serving trays of the same exteriordimensions, affording economies in manufacture and in shipment; thebeverage cups or receptacles may be inserted in the open `cup holeswithout breaking down tabs or flaps which normally close the holes ofprior trays; `and the cup openings and the spaces between the panelsupporting struts obviate the possibility that food packages may behidden under the panel.

l claim:

1. A serving tray formed from a blank of paperboard land comprising abottom, a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of end walls, providing atray body, the end portions of the front, rear and end walls beingadhesively connected so `tha said walls may be collapsed onto the bottomor swung upright relative to said bottom when the body is set up, apanel hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall and foldableinwardly ont@ the erected body, the panel having a plurality ofpartially cut-out flaps hinged thereto and foldable downwardly to formcup holes in the panel, certain of said fiaps having -oldaible endportions cemented to the tray bottom intermediate the front and rearwalls, said lastnarned 'laps constituting spaced struts supporting thefree margin of the panel in parallel relation to sai-d bottom, saidpanel and said struts being collapsible onto the bottorn and thecollapsed walls, and the cup holes being automatically opened when thetray is set up, the panel having opposite end portions extendingoutwardly beyond the respective end walls and resting thereon.

2. A serving tray as described in claim 1l, said aps l being hinged tothe panel in a line disposed in spaced parallel relation to the freeinner edge of the panel.

3. A serving tray as described in claim 2, certain flaps adiacent theend portions of `the panel being folded downwardly and outwardly againstsaid end Walls, and edges of said laps being in engagement with the traybottom, said aps bracing the panel ends `and tending to prevent collapseor the end walls ofthe setup box.

Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,233 lil/56 Goldberg229-28 2,294,64l 9/42 Walters 2ll-l33 2,833,458 5/58 Toensmeier 229-283,005,584 lil/6l Coe 229-28 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

1. A SERVING TRAY FORMED FROM A BLANK OF PAPERBOARD AND COMPRISING A BOTTOM A FRONT WALL, A REAR WALL AND A PAIR OF END WALLS, PROVIDING A TRAY BODY, THE END PORTIONS OF THE FRONT, REAR AND END WALLS BEING ADHESIVELY CONNECGED SO THAT SAID WALL MAY BE COLLAPSED ONTO THE BOTTOM OR SWUNG UPRIGHT RELATIVE TO SAID BOTTOM WHEN THE BODY IS SET UP, A PANEL HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF THE REAR WALL AND FOLDABLE INWARDLY ONTO THE ERECTED BODY, THE PANEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARTIALLY CUT-OUT FLAPS HINGED THERETO AND FOLDABLE DOWNWARDLY TO FORM CUP HOLES IN THE PANEL, CERTAIN OF SAID FLAPS HAVING FOLDABLE END PORTIONS CEMENTED TO THE TRAY BOTTOM INTERMEDIATE THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS, SAID LASTNAMED FLAPS CONSTITUTING SPACED STRUTS SUPPORTING THE FREE MARGIN OF THE PANEL IN PARALLEL RELATION TO SAID BOTTOM, SAID PANEL AND SAID STRUTS BEING COLLAPSIBLE ONTO THE BOTTOM AND THE COLLAPSED WALLS, AND THE CUP HOLES BEING AUTOMATICALLY OPENED WHEN THE TRAY IS SET UP, THE PANEL HAVING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE RESPECTIVE END WALLS AND RESTING THEREON. 